Midnight Howling Book 1

Chapter 28: Lyra/Liam

Lyras POV

Lyra woke up with a jolt, her heart pounding in her chest. The room was still dark, the early morning light just barely creeping through the curtains, but she could already feel it—the tension, the energy, coursing through her like wildfire. Something was different today. She felt it deep in her bones, an almost tangible pressure building just beneath her skin, like she was a ticking bomb waiting to explode.

She threw the covers off, her body unusually warm, even though the air in the room was cool. Her skin felt hot, almost feverish, as if her blood was boiling just beneath the surface. It was the day of the full moon, and she couldn't ignore the sensation that everything inside her was on edge, ready for something to happen.

It had been three days since she had last seen or heard from Alex. The pain was still there, lingering like a dull ache, but it was getting easier to push it aside. She still felt that pull toward him, the yearning that tugged at her heart whenever she thought of him, but she had managed to shove those feelings into the back of her mind. She had to. There was no room for that kind of distraction now.

Today, something else was happening. Something bigger.

Lyra got dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of black shorts and a tank top despite the bite of cold in the air. The chill didn't bother her. In fact, it felt almost soothing against her heated skin, like a relief she didn't realize she needed. She tugged her hair into a messy ponytail, her movements fast and jittery, as if her body couldn't move fast enough to release the pent-up energy simmering inside her.

She couldn't stay still. She needed to move.

Pushing open the door to the pack house, Lyra stepped outside and immediately took off at a run. The morning air hit her like a cool splash of water, but it didn't slow her down. Her muscles burned with every step, but it was a good kind of burn—the kind that made her feel alive. She needed this. She needed to push herself, to burn off whatever restless energy was building inside her before it consumed her.

As she reached the edge of the training grounds, she spotted Liam up ahead, stretching by the tree line. He looked up when he saw her, his usual easy grin spreading across his face.

"Morning, ticking time bomb," he called, jogging over to meet her. "You look... intense."

Lyra shook her head, already feeling the adrenaline pounding in her veins. "I feel like I'm about to explode."

Liam raised an eyebrow, eyeing her carefully. "Full moon will do that to you. It's different when your first shift's close. You're practically buzzing with energy."

"Buzzing is an understatement," Lyra muttered, bouncing on the balls of her feet, unable to keep still. "I just... I need to keep moving."

He gave her a knowing nod, falling into step beside her as they started running again, this time through the woods. The trees blurred by, the sounds of their footsteps and labored breathing the only noise cutting through the early morning silence.

"I've been there," Liam said after a while, his voice light despite the seriousness of his words. "Right before my first shift, I felt like I was crawling out of my own skin. Couldn't sleep, couldn't focus. Everything just... burned."

Lyra nodded, gritting her teeth as another wave of heat washed over her. "I feel like that now. Like I'm too hot, and nothing's enough to burn it off."

"You're close, then," Liam said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "It's coming."

The words sent a shiver down her spine, but it didn't ease the tension. If anything, it made her more anxious, more aware of how her body seemed ready to tear itself apart. She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared—scared of what was coming, scared of what would happen when the full moon rose tonight.